Devices that are suitable for taking swab samples from surfaces have become known in various embodiments. For example, a device with a corresponding process, in which a separate swab sampler with the swab sample is pressed in a correctly fitting manner to a detection unit and a dilution or chemical formulation of the swab sample is subsequently performed, has been known from DE 44 39 429 C2.
A process for the detection of an analyte on surfaces, in which the analyte is swabbed from the surface with a swabbing surface of an analytical test strip and a chemical or immunochemical detection reaction is subsequently carried out directly by means of the analytical test strip, has become known from the patent application DE 198 30 405.6. One drawback of this process and of the corresponding device is that after sampling by swabbing, the particulate or sorptively bound soluble substances can be diluted, chemically derivatized and dissolved only after the addition of an external, mostly aqueous solution of the sorption medium, i.e., the swab sampler. Another drawback of this prior-art device is that only a single measurement is possible with the same device due to the swab sampler with the swab sample being directly coupled with the analytical test unit.